Therapeutic potential of yeast killer toxin-like antibodies and mimotopes

FEMS Yeast Res. 2004 Oct;5(1):11-8. doi: 10.1016/j.femsyr.2004.06.010.

Abstract

This review focuses on the potential of yeast killer toxin (KT)-like antibodies (KTAbs), that mimic a wide-spectrum KT through interaction with specific cell wall receptors (KTR) and their molecular derivatives (killer mimotopes), as putative new tools for transdisease anti-infective therapy. KTAbs are produced during the course of experimental and natural infections caused by KTR-bearing micro-organisms. They have been produced by idiotypic vaccination with a KT-neutralizing mAb, also in their monoclonal and recombinant formats. KTAbs and KTAbs-derived mimotopes may exert a strong therapeutic activity against mucosal and systemic infections caused by eukaryotic and prokaryotic pathogenic agents, thus representing new potential wide-spectrum antibiotics.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / immunology
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / therapeutic use
  • Antibodies, Fungal / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Fungal / therapeutic use
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use
  • Candida albicans / immunology
  • Candidiasis / immunology
  • Candidiasis / therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunization, Passive / methods
  • Killer Factors, Yeast
  • Molecular Mimicry / immunology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mycotoxins / immunology*
  • Pichia / immunology*
  • Vaccination / methods

Substances

  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
  • Antibodies, Fungal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Killer Factors, Yeast
  • Mycotoxins
  • killer toxin, Pichia